I got to Quito airport at about 1115PM, and Rita was there with a sign that had my name on it. We went to her house, I drank some tea, and then she gave me a tour. I was in my bed by 130AM. My bedroom is so cute--it has huge closets, a desk, a bed, a world map, and a window that overlooks some kind of greenhouse. The house is beautiful, and Rita's brother lives right next door.
Quito itself is gorgeous. There people everywhere. My house (on Calle Rusia) is super close to Parque Carolina, a big park in the center where people are playing basketball, skateboarding, and laying around. I can see mountains so close that the houses on the slope are visible. And the weather is beautiful. The only shocking thing that I've seen since I got here--and it's kind of stupid--was a billboard for the movie The Hangover, but instead of being called The Hangover it was called ¿Qué Pasó Ayer? which means What Happened Yesterday?
Anyway, I woke up at about 9AM and after breakfast (kiwi, mango, papaya, and coffee), we went to the mercado to buy some fruit, veggies, and fish. The mercado was insane! People everywhere buying vegetables and haggling over prices, men chopping the heads off gigantic fish, mountains of fruit... it was amazing. It made me miss my Papa a lot, becuse there is nothing that he loved more than a good trip to the market. After the mercado, we went to the mall, then we ate said fish for lunch. Now I'm here, struggling with the internet, and trying to make sure no one is left out of the "I'M HERE" e-mails.
All of the bedrooms are upstairs (I think there are five? Or maybe four.) and there are two, maybe three bathrooms in the house. The kitchen is huge, and there's a living room as well as a TV room, and the study. When Rita showed me her son, Jose Ignacio's, room, I noticed that he had an Obama campaign poster as well as Beatles and Bob Marley stuff everywhere. I think we're going to get along, haha. He comes back from Washington DC on Tuesday.
I'm exhausted (from speaking Spanish all day) so I'm going to stop there.
Love,
Gina.
I read you blogs two or three times and hung on every word..I am so excited for you to have such an incredible adventure. You are so brave!! The comment about Papa choked me up because as proud as all of us are--Papa is the proudest!!! That man loved to experience it all!! Sounds like you are settling in--we all love you!! Aunt Nae and the men!!
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